Education reporter

Tears flowed Monday evening as a three-day showing of panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt started in Athens’ Classic Center.

A line of volunteers waited during Monday’s opening ceremony to read the names of every person on the roughly 600 quilt panels laid out on the floor of the Classic Center’s huge new exhibit hall, including Jennie Sligh of Athens, whose list of names included that of her son, Albert Sligh, who died in 1993.

After she read the name, Sligh walked over to look at the panel she created for her son years ago, now one of about 48,000 in the entire AIDS Quilt.

“He was a great boy,” she said.

The exhibit in the Classic Center also features a number of panels friends or family made for those from the Athens area, including Stephen Letzsch; Scott Lago, one of the founders of the quilt; and Crawford’s Mauldin brothers, Tracy and Charles.

Other panels paid tribute to people of fame who died of AIDS, including Ryan White, Rock Hudson, Randy Shilts and Amanda Blake of “Gunsmoke” fame.

Civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks made one of the panels, honoring her friend Deborah Haynes.

Other panels give clues about people who lived out their lives elsewhere. One for Kenneth Buckley said simply, “Our gentle friend,” while nearby a panel for another man said: “Love don’t need no reason. Love don’t always rhyme. What we don’t have is time.”

One name was both local and famous — Ricky Wilson of The B-52s, who gave AIDS Athens its first donation more than 25 years ago, said AIDS Athens Executive Director Olivia Long.

AIDS Athens, which gives help to people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS, sponsored the exhibit.

The group recently turned 25 years old, and the woman probably most responsible for starting the group was on hand Monday, last in line to read names.

“I felt like my job was to be a bridge between the community of people who needed help and the community of people who had help to give,” recalled Julia Strong.

The panels will be on display again today from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. in the Classic Center and Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.